Self-Starting Cadillac, 1912

From Toronto Sunday World, Feb. 18, 1912. The release of the first practical electric self-starter on the 1912 Cadillacs was a major event. Contemporary reports said that the new technology was “of more interest to motorists than any other.” The self-starter also established the need for electrical systems on future gasoline cars, creating a much more lucrative industry for battery companies than for powering electrics.

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“A Car that supplies every comfort and convenience.

Including its own electric power plant continuously charging batteries which supply current for self-starting, lighting and ignition.

No other car at any price has this equipment or anything like it. It is an exclusive Cadillac feature and is already giving perfect satisfaction in the hands of

Five Thousand Cadillac Owners.”